Reverse Psychology
by Nobody 08
Summary: Sequel to "Misplaced". Took a while, and there was some confusion, but it's finally here! XD Yoru/Soi, RukiHime.
1. Chapter 1

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**Disclaimer: Don't own Bleach.**

**_Chapter 1_**

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"What?" Orihime asked, having absolutely no idea what Rukia was talking about. The big-busted girl with past-waist length, dark orange hair was sitting on her bed with her new, slightly shorter when standing with above-shoulder length black hair, girlfriend.

"I said...."

"I heard what you said, but what are you talking about?"

"Remember Captain Soi Fon's call?" Rukia asked.

"Yeah, but...."

"You know who Yoruichi Shihoin is?"

"Of course." Orihime said, deciding to stop asking questions.

"Well, I guess Captain Soi Fon likes Yoruichi, as I suspected."

"What?!"

"But that's not all. She called me to help her win Yoruichi over, because Nii-sama says told her that I can read people."

"Wow. So how are you going to help her do it?" Orihime asked. Rukia smirked.

"That's the fun part. You see...."

---- _In the Seretei----_

Alone in her bedroom, Soi Fon let out a frustrated sigh. She had absolutely nothing to do, except wait. She was waiting for a Rukia Kuchiki, an unseated member of the 13th Division, to call her back, and to the 2nd Division's current captain, the waiting period seemed like forever already. Of course, she had been waiting for almost a full day.

"It's only been a few hours in the living world..." Soi Fon muttered to herself, "and probably late at night. I'll probably have to wait a little longer."

"Wait a little longer for what?" a female voice asked from Soi Fon's window. Soi Fon turned, shocked, a soon as she recognized the voice.

"Y-Yoruichi-sama!" she exclaimed, "What are you doing here?"

"Just checking in on my little bee." Yoruichi said, smirking. Soi Fon frowned.

"I'm not your little bee anymore."

_**Sometimes I wish that were true. And that I never was. But I can't deny how I feel... Yoruichi-sama. Kuchiki, I hope you call be back soon....**_

"Oh, no?" Yoruichi asked, smiling, stepping into the room and walking over to the Captain, "Look me in the eye and tell me you don't love me."

Soi Fon easily managed to look into Yoruichi's eyes... those striking yellow-golden eyes that always burned, be it with seriousness, sadness, or most commonly around Soi Fon, with a smart-alecy gleam, which was presently the case. Soi Fon glared at her former mentor. The harder part was speaking.

_**I want so badly to say just that, because of what you did. Running away, leaving me, not saying a word. Do you know how badly that hurt me? One hundred years, Yoruichi! I want to tell you so badly that I hate you, that I want to take you down, but....**_

_**I can't lie about loving you. I can't say that I don't, because... as soon as I start thinking about hating you... there's something in me that the idea just doesn't sit right with. Maybe because I really just....**_

"Well?" Yoruichi practically purred, "I'm waiting." Soi Fon's frown became a scowl. She opened her mouth to speak... just as her phone rang.

_**No, NO! Kuchiki, not THAT soon....**_

Soi Fon checked the caller ID. It was Kuchiki. The world was officially over.

"Who is it?" Yoruichi asked in response to Soi Fon's shocked expression. She scowled at Yoruichi again and said,

"This doesn't concern you."

_**Well, what now? If I don't answer, I might not be able to get the answer I want later... but if I don't, it would certainly save me grief right now....**_

"I have to take this." Soi Fon said, answering the phone.

"I think I'll stay." Yoruichi announced, taking a seat on Soi Fon's bed, "This could be interesting." Soi Fon flashed a frown at Yoruichi and said into the phone,

"You'd better be giving me the answer I want."

"Ooh, a mysterious answer from a mysterious person in a mysterious situation?" Yoruichi taunted, smiling and tilting her head, "I was right. This _is_ interesting."

"Good, but from now on, I should call you." Soi Fon said to Rukia, then paused as Rukia spoke.

"Yoruichi Shihoin's in the room with me right now." Soi Fon replied, coolly.

"Am I being used as a threat?" Yoruichi asked, bemused, "Or are you warning whoever's on the phone to be discreet?"

"What? You want to what?" Soi Fon asked Rukia and paused for a response, completely ignoring Yoruichi's musings, then asked, "Why would you want to do that?"

Yoruichi sat, interested, and confused. What could she possibly be talking about? And to whom?

"Well, it's not like I don't, but.... Yes, or else I wouldn't have.... But that's completely... HEY! WHO ARE YOU THAT YOU GET TO INTERRUPT A CAPTAIN!? .... Oh, right." Soi Fon said to Rukia, making Yoruichi even more intrigued. Someone who has a position to be able to interrupt a Captain? This seemed entirely new to her. Soi Fon sighed and continued,

"I just don't think this is the best idea." then she paused again, and said, "Okay, okay. Fine. You win. Here you go." Soi Fon handed the phone to Yoruichi, telling her, "She wants to talk to you." and nothing more. Yoruichi raised an eyebrow and took the phone, lifting it to her ear.

"Hello?.... Yes, that's me.... What? Then how come.... now you're interrupting me!" a pause, and then, "Oh. I see.... Of course...." she paused, glanced up at Soi Fon, and said, smiling, "Because you're such a big fan, right? Okay. Go ahead." Soi Fon was a little concerned about the next pause, because it was a mite longer than the others. "Oh. Huh." Yoruichi glanced up at Soi Fon again and said, "No, it's totally natural.... Yeah, I know, but it is. I never would have guessed...." another pause. Yoruichi's next sentence was serious. "Yes... "she said, "I do. More than anything.... Well, people tend to label me as lazy, and that's not true, I do practice, a lot." yet another pause, and Yoruichi went right back into her laid-back demeanor, "The only problem is building strength and confidence. If I could give you a hint, I would say to constantly remind yourself of why you're doing it. So did that help you any? .... Good, good. Okay." one last pause put a slightly pissed off look on Yoruichi's face, "Of course I will. I can't believe you don't trust me. It is my own welfare, after all." she handed the phone back to Soi Fon and jumped onto the window frame, said to Soi Fon, "I'll see you later Soi Fon. I just remembered I'm going to be late for dinner at the Shibas' place tonight. See you later. Okay?" and was gone.

"What did you say to her?" Soi Fon asked Rukia through the phone as soon as Yoruichi left.

"I don't see how that matters," Rukia commented, "the important part is that I got the information I needed."

"How? By asking if her hair was dyed and how much she practices?" Soi Fon asked, slightly mad.

"Sure. It's a reading people thing. That is why you called _me,_ right?" Rukia said. Soi Fon frowned.

".... Yes. I... I'm sorry if...." Soi Fon began to apologize, but was once more interrupted.

"It's alright. I was expecting that reaction. Talk to you later?" Rukia said.

"Of course." Soi Fon answered, and hung up the phone.

_How the conversation REALLY went_

"_I have to take this." Soi Fon answered the phone and shot Yoruichi a sour look after she said she was going to stay... no doubt just to listen in._

"_You better be giving me the answer I want." Soi Fon snapped into the phone._

"_I've decided to help you." Rukia answered._

"_Good, but I think I should call you from now on." _

"_Why is that, Captain Soi Fon? Is there...."_

"_Yoruichi Shihoin's in the room with me right now." Soi Fon said, careful to use Yoruichi's full name, to play on the fact that she was famous throughout the Soul Society._

"_Really?" Rukia asked in interest, then paused briefly to consider something, then told Soi Fon, "I want to talk to her."_

"_What? You want to what?" Soi Fon asked._

"_You heard me. Hand the phone over to Yoruichi. Or don't you trust me to help you?"_

"_Well, it's not like I don't but...."_

"_You do want her, right?"_

"_Yes, or else I wouldn't have...."_

"_Then hand over the phone."_

"_But this is completely...."_

"_I just need some information from her."_

"_HEY! WHO ARE YOU THAT YOU GET TO INTERRUPT A CAPTAIN!?"_

"_The one who's helping you win over the love of your life."_

"_....Oh, right." Soi Fon sighed and said, "I just don't think this is the best idea."_

"_Would you rather I came over there and started following her around? I would probably get caught rather quickly...." Rukia countered._

"_Okay, okay. Fine. You win. Here you go." Soi Fon gave a very confused Yoruichi the phone with no more than, "She wants to talk to you." Yoruichi raised her eyebrow as she took the phone and moved it to her ear._

"_Hello?" she asked._

"_Yoruichi Shihoin?" _

"_That's me."_

"_This is Rukia Kuchiki."_

"_What? Then how come...."_

"_Don't finish that sentence."_

"_Now you're interrupting me!"_

"_Soi Fon's still in the room. Watch what you say."_

"_Oh. I see."_

"_I need to ask you a few questions, but Soi Fon can't know what we're talking about. _

"_Of course."_

"_Cover that." Rukia told Yoruichi. Yoruichi glanced up at Soi Fon and smiled as she said, _

"_Because you're such a big fan, right? Okay. Go ahead." off he top of her head._

"_Good, but I actually need to ask you this because Soi Fon has practically hired me to help her get you together with her. I think she loves you, Yoruichi. Like, romantically."_

"_Oh. Huh." Yoruichi said in surprise. She had made a joke about Soi Fon's affection earlier... but she didn't think... didn't know...._

"_Cover." Rukia said. Yoruichi thought fast. What would merit surprise? What could Kuchiki have asked her? Oh, wait...._

"_No, it's totally natural." she said, then cleverly paused, as if waiting for an answer, something about how weird purple is for a natural color, then said, "Yeah, I know, but it is." then added as part of the cover, and a real reaction to Rukia's statement, "I never would have guessed...."_

"_So, my question is this." Rukia said, her unseen expression changing to one of complete sobriety ,_

"_Do you love her?"_

"_Yes..." Yoruichi found herself saying. It was the one thing she thought she'd never admit. "I do. More than anything...."_

"_Cover." Rukia said. Yoruichi's instincts had already alerted her to do so, she knew how sharp Soi Fon was, and this was not part of the plan. She twisted her face into one of contempt._

"_Well, people tend to label me as lazy, and that's not true. I do practice, a lot." _

"_Okay. Well, now to formulate a plan." Rukia sighed._

"_The only problem is strength and confidence," Yoruichi told Rukia, hoping that she'd catch the code, "If I could give you a hint, I would say to keep reminding yourself of why you're doing it." Rukia smiled weakly as she got what Yoruichi was saying._

"_Thanks."_

"_So did that help you any?" Yoruichi asked, still in cover mode._

"_Of course it did! Now I know how you feel, so...."_

"_Good, good. Okay." Yoruichi cut Rukia off._

"_Anyway, keep this a secret from Soi Fon."_

"_Of course I will! I can't believe you don't trust me." the idea that she wouldn't pissed her off a little, but she automatically covered, saying, "It is my own welfare, after all."_

_She handed the phone back to Soi Fon, made up something so she could excuse herself, and left the way she came... out the window. _

----_In Orihime's apartment----_

"How'd it go?" Orihime asked Rukia as the latter put away her cell phone. She smiled at Orihime... her new girlfriend... the thought made the smile become a grin.

_**I always thought she'd end up choosing between Ichigo or Tatsuki... or maybe even Uryu.... I never thought it would turn out this way. I was content to hide my feelings... but now I realize... how much better it really is when things turn out your way.**_

Rukia came out of her thoughts to find her face only a small space away from Orihime's. She tilted her head a little as she answered Orihime's question.

"Wonderfully." she said. Orihime's face broke into a smile as she moved to finish what Rukia had subconsciously started. As they kissed, Orihime could feel Rukia's joy flowing in her strong, but still somehow gentle style, as their bodies moved to the steady, yet pulsing rhythm of a song only they could hear, coming closer with each beat. She soon discovered that Rukia had the same knowing accuracy, strength, and grace in their current activity as she did in almost everything else... except there was one difference that Orihime hoped would linger. She tried to picture her aura plucking a small amount of the happiness Rukia was radiating, and putting it in her pocket for a rainy day.

_**Please, Rukia... **_Orihime thought, pouring a new fire into the intimacy, gripping the back of Rukia's shirt, letting out a small moan and planting small, light kisses on Rukia's right cheek as she worked back to her lips, _**Let me make you happy. **_

Rukia felt Orihime's tongue against her lips, requesting entry, but with a support that isn't entirely a common characteristic of Orihime. Of course she let her in, running her own tongue lightly along the front side of Orihime's, as if to invite her. She wrapped her arms around Orihime's neck and pulled her in, maneuvering herself through her positive energies, almost like body surfing, so to speak. The corners of her lips curved upward as she realized that she probably knew what Orihime was thinking. She swiveled a little, and seamlessly tied the tongue-kiss to kissing the corner of Orihime's lips, then slightly lower, then a little farther back, and higher, until she was at Orihime's ear, at which point she whispered,

"You don't know how happy you make me by just living, Orihime." Rukia paused, kissed Orihime's temple, and finished, "By being here with me."

Orihime was shocked and moved by these words, and considered crying as an option before she softly smiled, said, "Thank you...." and let her head slowly drop, rubbing along Rukia's face softly, until she reached her shoulder. Rukia almost jumped as Orihime lightly bit the base of her neck.

"O-Orihime! I didn't take you for the biting type!" she exclaimed, her cheeks gaining a pinkish hue. Orihime looked up into Rukia's eyes with a smirk.

"There are things I do that lots of people wouldn't think I'm the type for." Orihime said slyly. Rukia only stared as her blush deepened. Then she smiled and pointed out, leaning in once more,

"Like falling in love with me."

"Right." Orihime murmured, following Rukia's motion like a reflection in a mirror.

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Sorry for the confusion! ^_^;;


	2. Chapter 2

**Disclaimer: I'm going to stop doing disclaimers on this story and assume you know that I don't own Bleach. **

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"You ready, 'Hime?" Rukia asked, throwing her bag over her shoulder, "We're going to be late for school!"

"You know, we could just stay here today." Orihime suggested from the bathroom as she finished fixing her hair, "We wouldn't get in trouble. And tomorrow's Saturday." Rukia closed her eyes and tilted her head back a little as she smiled to herself. Just the thought of the fact that Orihime was hers... and she was Orihime's... was still amazing.

"As amazingly tempting as your offer is..." Rukia almost sighed, "I'm afraid staying here would raise too much suspicion. Especially in Ichigo and Chizuru."

"But everything they would say would be right... or am I wrong?" Orihime asked, coming out of the bathroom, directing a puzzled look to her girlfriend.

"Not everything. Gossip can get out of hand. I think we should go, just to confirm the truth and deny anything false. Otherwise people would start saying we eloped together." Rukia explained, to the bewilderment of Orihime.

"Really? People would actually say that?"

"You don't even know." Rukia said, then asked again, "Anyway, are you ready to go?"

"Not quite." Orihime answered, picking up her own bag. Then she walked purposefully over to Rukia and pulled her in by the waist, pausing so Rukia could pick up on her intension.

Rukia was always very observant.

After the brief make-out session, the girls stood, smiling like idiots for the shortest instant, until Orihime told Rukia,

"Now I'm ready."

The girls broke the embrace, but walked out the door hand in hand... which caused a little bit of a complication in the doorway, a little giggling, and another quick smooch before they left the building.

_-Later, at Karakura High, in the classroom before class-_

"Hey, Orihime!" Tatsuki shouted, her head turned to face Orihime as she clutched the front of Chizuru's shirt, ready to punch her, "Where have you been? I thought you were going to be late!"

"Yeah! I thought you two were going to ruin the rare occasion of everyone in class being here today!" Keigo commented.

"That's right. And they didn't, so pay up." Mizurio told Keigo. The brown-haired boy handed over his due, overly dramatic anime tears streaming down his face.

"Did you and Rukia-chan _have fun_ last night?" Chizuru grinned a devilish grin.

"HEY! WHAT WAS I JUST TELLING YOU ABOUT...!" Tatsuki said, turning back to Chizuru and waving her fist, but Orihime smiled and waved off Tatsuki's sentence. Chizuru and Tatsuki both looked at Orihime in confusion, but Tatsuki's gaze was more intense. Rukia's face held her trademark dangerously sweet smirk.

"It's alright. We were expecting worse." Orihime explained, "That's why we even showed up today. Right, Ruki-chan?" She looked down at Rukia, who watched her face with a raised eyebrow at the use of the term 'Ruki-chan'. She quickly recovered her smirk, however, and replied,

"That's right, 'Hime." as she leaned in, pausing an inch or two in front of Orihime's lips, to make sure the class understood that it was mutual. Orihime grinned and finished what Rukia started, knowing what would happen. As soon as their lips made contact, the entire class stared in shock, except for Chizuru, who's apparent pleasure was perhaps a little over the top.

Tatsuki felt like she couldn't breathe.

Chizuru moaned loudly from Tatsuki's grasp, making Rukia and Orihime blush deeply.

"Oh my GAWD! DoitagaindoitagainDOITAGAIN!" she cried, not really making an effort to break away from her captor, but lurching towards her new Goddesses, a huge smile across her face, showing how excited she was. Then Rukia, Orihime, and Chizuru all suddenly noticed at once how incredibly still Tatsuki was. Her expression became one of anger crossed with disappointment and sadness as she shook her head, tossed Chizuru to the side, pushed her way past the two girls, and ran out of the classroom. Chizuru had been tossed into the wall a few feet away, but she was glad that it stopped her momentum.

"Tatsuki!" Orhime shouted, moving to pursue her friend, but was bumped before she could go by a speeding Chizuru, with the most serious look on her face anyone in the class had ever seen. Orihime paused, pondering the reasoning behind Chizuru's action.

"_She tends to ignore you more often than not if Tatsuki isn't around." _Orihime recalled Rukia telling her. Maybe... Orihime' stride was slow as she moved quietly to the doorway. She barely poked her head outside the room, and saw Tatsuki running down the hallway with Chizuru surprisingly gaining on her.

"ARISAWA!" she heard Chizuru call out in a tone that only contained concern, but of a hard, serious sort, "PLEASE, WAIT!" Orihime watched as her friend continued running for a few moments, seemingly in defiance, until she actually slowed to a stop. Rukia's head popped out right underneath Orihime's.

"What's wrong?" Rukia asked softly,"Why aren't you chasing her?"

"Shh!" Orihime shushed her girlfriend and continued watching.

They both witnessed the interaction between Chizuru and Tatsuki, but didn't hear anything they said...

Tatsuki's head was hung low as she stood, unmoving, listening to Chizuru's footsteps coming closer. She expected the lesbian to run right up and do something to try to cheer her up, or make her want to beat her up, but she did exactly the opposite. She ran, true, but as soon as she felt she was close enough, her paced slowed. She stopped a small distance behind Tatsuki's left side, and simply frowned at the back of the tomboy's head.

"Talk to me." she said, her voice low and soft, but still hard enough to fit the moment.

"H-how..." Tatsuki muttered, her subconscious alerting her to the fact that the girl got her to talk so easily. The quiver in Tatsuki's voice was immediately recognized by Chizuru as the brink of tears, with which she was all too familiar. Tatsuki started again. "How could she _do_ that to me?" she said softly. "Orihime..." she smiled a sad smile and shook her head, "I always told her how dense Ichigo was, because he didn't know how she felt about him. I knew... I knew she was just as bad, but that was okay!" Her head lifted, or rather, was thrown back, and Chizuru saw only a corner of the look of agony on Tatsuki's face. A pang of dejection made the redhead's expression carry split-second poignancy as her mind's eye showed her the playfully challenging grin that most commonly inhabited the features of her classmate. "It was okay... because I didn't _want_ her to know." Tatsuki continued, "That was because she liked Ichigo... not anymore I guess... but I thought... I thought she would never return my feelings because..." she bit her lip, no doubt to hold back the sobs that were threatening to escape. "Look at us. We're all upside-down." she shook her head again and said, "I'm crying, Orihime's making Rukia-style responses to your outbursts, Rukia actually blushed... what next? Keigo will tell the class he's gay. Or you'll actually be seri..." she glanced at Chizuru and saw her pensive, unchanging expression. "Oh, God." she said, turning her entire body to finally face her listener, "It's the end of the world. It's gotta be." Chizuru took in Tatsuki's visage, which showed obvious signs of tears, maybe even very quiet sobs.

"It'll be alright, Tatsuki. I know exactly where you are." was all Chizuru said. Tatsuki stepped forward and grabbed Chizuru's shirt with both hands as her legs slowly failed her. Chizuru let herself be dragged down, let Tatsuki curl up on her side in her lap and cry, the grip of the karate champion like vices on her shirt. A small, inert smile became visible on Chizuru's face. She hesitantly ran the fingers of her left hand through Tatsuki's hair, while she reached her right arm to the farther side of the girl's back, and gave in to the girl's tugging at her shirt, leaning down to the point where her nose was in Tatsuki's hair. It smelled like pomegranates... well, as close to pomegranates as you can get in hair treatment. It was better than Chizuru ever could have imagined. Pomegranate. Possibly the one thing she hadn't guessed...

Tatsuki's cries never got very loud, Chizuru figured it was because Tatsuki knew Orihime was still in the classroom that they weren't very far away from. When they began to die down, Tatsuki decided to say something she'd been wanting to tell Chizuru for a while.

"H-hey... Chizuru... s-stop me if you've... heard this one." Tatsuki said, her breathing still irregular.

"What's that?" Chizuru wondered, straightening herself, but staying in the knelt position.

"What do y-you call a l-lesbian w-with long nails?" Tatsuki asked, looking up into Chizuru's eyes. The remnants of her tears made Tatsuki's honest smile give Chizuru not only a feeling of happiness at seeing that she had been successfully cheered up, but one of accomplishment. Soon, everything would go back to normal...

It was that thought which kept her depression firmly where it was.

"I don't know." Chizuru actually never had heard this one. She smiled at the girl in her lap... the girl she'd really wanted all along...

"S-single." Tatsuki said, grinning. Chizuru's expression quickly transitioned into a surprised smile, replacing the depressed one.

"That... that was actually really funny." Chizuru responded. Tatsuki lifted herself into a kneeling position in front of Chizuru, and wiped the water away from her own face. The athlete took a long shaky breath, signaling the end of her physical display of emotion, as she took one of Chizuru's hands in her own, causing the lesbian to blush lightly.

"Chizuru..." Tatsuki said, smiling down at the hand she was holding, "_Your_ nails are long. That's why I've been dying to tell you that joke. Maybe that's why you're always single. You should think about cutting them." Chizuru's blush deepened. She inhaled in an attempt to calm herself down. Tatsuki had been honest with her, told her perhaps her darkest secret. She decided right there that she should do the same.

"I would for you." Chizuru said, slipping her hand out of Tatsuki's grasp so she could take both of Tatsuki's hands in her own, "The truth is, Tatsuki, I would do anything for you. I... I tell you that you're too butch for my taste, and actually, you _should_ be. But... there's something about _you_ that just... just..."

"Glows?" Tatsuki suggested. Chizuru made a face that was confused, interested, and kind of weirded out, all at the same time.

"Umm... We can go with that. Not quite what I was looking for, but it works." Chizuru said. Tatsuki shrugged.

"I overheard Ichigo and Rukia singing a song the other day, and the last lyrics were 'ameagari, tada, tada, kagayaku'(1). It was kinda weird how good they sounded together."

"Huh. Anyway, I just-... Wait... You're not... I mean... you _know _what I'm telling you." Chizuru said, secretly revering the fact that she was still holding Tatsuki's hands.

"Yeah. It's not like I'm just gonna take off while you're in the middle of a confession like that."

"But... you haven't... hurt me, or yelled at me, or anything! I... I always thought that you completely loathed me... that you would completely reject the very _idea_..."

"Oh, don't worry, usually you'd be totally right. If this were any other day, I would have stopped you, and been mad. And you know better than anyone what happens when I get mad."

"But have you ever noticed..." Chizuru muttered, blushing a little, "I was always smiling."

"What?" Tatsuki asked.

"Every time you got mad... yelled at me or hit me... I was always smiling." she answered. Tatsuki thought back. She was right. In every instance she could call up, Chizuru had a grin as she went down. There were even a few times when she would compliment Tatsuki's punches.

"I never noticed." Tatsuki said, "Maybe now I will. But... Chizuru, you should know that it's not _you_ I loathe... just the fact that you're a perv." she reached under her shirt pulled out a small object on a chain, "Look."

"Th-that's...!" Chizuru said in shock.

_**Flashback to two years before...**_

"_Secret Santa? Seriously, who does those things?" Chizuru heard Tatsuki say from across the room. She turned so she could just see Tatsuki and Orihime staring at the Secret Santa hat. The hat had lots of names in it._

"_Ooh, Tatsuki-chan, you shouldn't be that way! I know! We should do it!"_

"_What? No way! If someone wants to give me a gift, they can be open about it."_

"_But what about your secret admirer?" Orihime asked, raising a red flag in the back of Chizuru's mind._

"_What secret admirer?"_

"_I don't know, then it wouldn't be a secret! But what if you do have one?"_

"_Hah. Sucks to be them." Tatsuki commented, shrugging._

"_Tatsuki-chan! That's so mean!"_

"_What? If I do have one, they'd probably agree!" Chizuru smiled lightly in response._

"_Hey, let's both try to get each other!" Orihime said._

"_We're just gonna get each other gifts anyway." _

"_But it'll be fun!" Orihime insisted. Tatsuki sighed in defeat._

"_Fine. I'll do it."_

"_YAYYYY!" _

_After Tatsuki and Orihime put their names into the hat, they shook it and drew._

"_I goooooooott..." Orihime said, unfolding the paper in her hands, "Kimamoru Ryo. Huh. Don't know him. Your turn Tatsuki!" Tatsuki looked at the paper in her fist. She sighed and opened it._

"_What the hell? What could I possibly get for HIM?"_

"_Who is it?" Orihime asked._

"_Kurosaki Ichigo." Tatsuki grumbled, "Why is he even IN there, anyway...?" The two girls left the room, talking along the lines of something about Ichigo, but Chizuru wasn't listening. She walked over to the hat, knowing that this could be her only opportunity to get the one she wanted a present without drawing attention to herself. Before she realized, she found herself entering her name, and drawing a paper, but to be fair, she shook the hat around some first. She just held the slip that she had drawn for a few moments, wondering if it was even remotely possible..._

"_Only one way to find out..." she whispered to herself, opening the paper. She stared at the name on it blankly, obviously for lack of any other reaction. _

_'Arisawa Tatsuki' __was practically scribbled across the paper._

_**Back to our story...**_

"The pendant you gave me two years ago." Tatsuki said, dangling the necklace. It had a simple silver chain, but the pendant was beautiful, in a way that only black can be. From the bottom up, it started as a clear quartz point, faceted off into a straight prism, with silver accentuations that almost seemed to serve as glue in some places, but decoration in others as it transitioned into a small black sort of roundish shape, had silver, turned into a black cylinder like section, had silver, another black sphereish point, and one last line of silver that seamlessly changed the black to quartz once more, almost making you think that only you could see the black parts, like it was some sort of power... but the pendant never changed, really, so it was decided that it just looked cool by both parties.

"Do... do you remember what I told you?" Chizuru asked curiously.

"It's supposed to be a charm that helps you get stronger. Or something like that, right?" Tatsuki answered.

"I... y-you really..." Chizuru began to stutter, but stopped and said, "Close enough." then changed the subject, "But that doesn't mean anything. Just because you didn't throw it out doesn't..."

"Chizuru, are you stupid?" Tatsuki asked, looking a little annoyed, "I was able to pull it out on a whim. It's around my neck. There's only one possible way I could have done that, since I certainly didn't plan on this." Chizuru's eyes widened.

"Y-you wear it every day..." Chizuru realized.

"I'll admit, for a perv, you pick out great gifts." Tatsuki said. Chizuru blushed as she thought of something horribly perverted to say, but found that she couldn't say it.

_**I might have a chance now... I'm not about to ruin it...**_

"Look. I think we should be friends." Tatsuki said, "Maybe things might go from there."

"Wait... this is... this is weird..." Chizuru said, standing in spite of the fact that her mind was reeling, "Did you really just say that?"

"My world is upside-down." Tatsuki shrugged, "So I'll go upside-down with it. Maybe it'll be fun."

"We should get to class be fore the teacher sees us..." Chizuru said, looking around.

"Right. Let's go." Tatsuki replied.

Back in the classroom, the peepers named Rukia and Orihime ran back to their seats as soon as Tatsuki and Chizuru started to turn their attention towards the classroom door. Everyone was seated as the bell rang, signaling the beginning of class.

_-Later-_

"So, what was that?" Orihime asked her friend right after class ended, and everyone was gone except Rukia.

"What was what?" Tatsuki asked, her voice sounding slightly bitter.

"When you tossed Chizuru and ran out... why did you do that?"

"LIKE YOU CARE!" Tatsuki snapped.

"Tatsuki, I..." Orihime began.

"Orihime, wait." Rukia advised.

"What, this whole, time? I was _right_? You really don't know, huh? And I thought you were smarter than that. Well, here, I'll spell it out for you," Tatsuki shot at Orihime, her annoyance audible, "I _love _you, Orihime. I always have. I never said anything because I thought you liked Kurosaki. My _mistake_, though." The emphasis on the word 'mistake' made Orihime's heart ache.

"Tatsuki... I'm so sorry... You're right, I should have noticed... But I..." she said, unable to face her friend out of shame.

"Can't leave Kuchiki-san. Right?" Tatsuki growled. Orihime forced herself to look into the athlete's face, and was surprised by the contradiction of the angry voice to the expression of pain and despondency. Just a split second after she looked, however, Tatsuki's face changed from pain to shock as she realized how much she was hurting her friend by speaking so coldly.

"T-Tatsuki-chan... I... I'm so sorr-" Orhime muttered, her gaze falling. Tatsuki forced up a depressed smile.

"Orhime..." she interjected softly, establishing eye contact with the other girl, "I'm the one who should-"

"NO! Tatsuki, don't ever apologize for being in love! You can't control that! I..." Orihime paused to consider her words, "I think you have the right to be angry with me. I might not know exactly what you're feeling right now, but... this whole time, you thought I was untouchable, and then it turns out I was within reach the whole time. If you want me to avoid you for a while, I'd understand." Tatsuki let the information she was hearing sink in. She turned her head, her face displaying her distress at the statement quite clearly.

"Orhime..." she said. She looked up, showing the saddest happy grin Orhime and Rukia had ever seen, and ran to embrace her friend, "That's why I can never be mad at you! There are some things you don't quite get about life, but you always come through where it's important... but please, don't avoid me... just know this..."-she stepped away from Orihime and turned to Rukia, suddenly more intimidating than Orihime even knew she could be- "If you _EVER _even _THINK_ about hurting her, I will _hunt you down_ _PERSONALLY_ and _NEVER REST_ until I deliver what _I CONSIDER_ to be something kinda like justice, but closer to a _very_ _VIOLENT _REVENGE!"

"W-wow...Wa-wakarimashita (2)..." Rukia managed to stutter.

"_**GOOD!"**_ Tatsuki bellowed, storming out of the room.

"I-is she usually like that? That was even scarier than if Captain Kenpachi were to threaten me..." Rukia told Orihime.

"No... I've never seen her quite like that..."

_-Outside the classroom-_

Tatsuki grinned as she walked, taking some solace in the fact that, even if Orihime was dating Rukia, she knew that Tatsuki was there if anything went wrong... and that if that was the case, Rukia would be dead.

* * *

(1) "Ameangari, tada, tada, kagayaku" means, "After the rain, just, just, glow."

(2) "Wakarimasen" means, "I understand"


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3

* * *

**

_-------In Orihime's apartment------_

"So. What do you think?" Rukia asked Yoruichi, looking up.

"Hehe." Yoruichi giggled a little.

"What, Yoruichi-san?" Orihime questioned.

"I think you're really short, Kuchiki." Yoruichi teased, grinning openly, but still mostly to herself.

"Anyway...." Rukia was obviously trying her hardest to hold back her temper, "Your opinion."

"It's great. Actually, you're pretty smart for your size." Yoruichi ruffled Rukia's hair, almost to make a point, as she only had to bend her elbow and lift her shoulder a little. Poor Rukia just couldn't take it. She sideswept her arm to knock Yoruichi's hand away.

"QUIT WITH THE SIZE JOKES ALREADY!!" she snapped, "I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M ACTUALLY HELPING YOU!!!" Orihime turned to Yoruichi to see her reaction... and saw a face full of bewilderment, apprehension, and... desperation? She glanced back at Rukia and saw her facing the opposite direction, her arms folded across her chest.

"I-I'm sorry. I'll stop. I swear. I... I just.... I'm actually really nervous, and it's how I cope...." she stepped closer to Rukia's back, and Orihime picked up on the dire tone with which Yoruichi pleaded, "Don't... don't be that way... I've been waiting a long time for this to happen.... I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I screwed things up no--"

"Yoruichi." Rukia's voice cut off the Goddess of Flash, "Stop it. You're coming this close to embarrassing yourself." She turned around and held up her hand, her thumb and index finger almost touching. At that Yoruichi smirked.

"When have I ever cared about that?" she asked.

"Good point." Rukia returned the expression, "So that's it then?"

"Yeah, but the hard part is going to be getting Ichigo to agree to it."

"Oh, I think not." Rukia said, smiling at Orihime. Orihime did the same back to Rukia, thinking,

_**Oh, this is going to be so BAD! But it's for a good cause.... Sorry, Kurosaki-kun.**_

"Here's the plan." Rukia said, smirking her dangerous yet sweet smirk.

_----The next day, at Karakura High---- _

"WHAT?" Ichigo exclaimed, "When? Why?"

"I'm not even entirely sure myself... she just left Rukia's phone with a note telling me to tell you that she has her! Please, Ichigo! I know we can do it together without bothering the others! We'll be enough!" Orihime said. Ichigo put on his trademark determined face.

"We'll have to be. Ishida can't associate with Soul Reapers, and Chad... well...." he stopped, letting the unfinished thought linger. Orihime took a moment to let her imagination wander.

"Anyway, let's-" Ichigo started.

"Look out! There's poison in the tea!" Orihime cried, giving Ichigo a shove.

"Orhime! There's no time for that!" Ichigo grabbed her by the wrist and began to run, "Let's go!"

"Right! They're in the Soul Society!" Orihime shouted.

---- _Just a little later, at Urahara Kisuke's Shop....----_

"So I just need to let them through, and it'll finally be resolved!" Urahara informed the other inhabitants of his living space, smiling from behind his fan. Before a reply could come, Ichigo barged in.

"Urahara!" he bellowed, "Orihime and I need to get to the Soul Society."

"Oh? And why's that?" Urahara asked.

"We need to find Yoruichi." he answered, flashing his determined look again.

"Oh. I see. It's like _that_, is it?" Urahara inquired rhetorically, "Well, lucky for you, I noticed the gate open earlier, and made sure it stayed that way." Relief found its way into the undertones of Ichigo's expression, but he was still fixed on saving Rukia.

"Thanks." Ichigo said.

----_In the Soul Society, not far from the Shiba's new residency....----_

"So, you guys know the plan, right?" Rukia asked from the tree. She was strategically tied to it, just in the perfect place to make it seem as though she fought hard, and ended up there as a result. Her zanpaku-to (a Soul Reaper's sword), Sode no Shirayuki (Sleeves of White Snow), was also positioned according to plan, released, on the ground near the tree, making it look like it was forced from her hand, or perhaps she had dropped it. The fact that it was still released would let Ichigo know that she was alive. The clothes that both she and Yoruichi adorned were purposely ripped in a few places, for added effect. Rukia had even done a bunch of running around to make herself out of breath, just in case something went wrong. Hanataro Yamada was hiding in a nearby bush.

"Y-yes, Kuchiki-san. I'll stay where I'm supposed to until you show up." Hanataro said, already trembling, "Oh... why did I agree to this...?"

"And I fight Ichigo until Soi Fon comes to help me." Yoruichi said, a little flippantly, then her tone became hard, "But are you sure this'll work? I mean... fights don't exactly...."

"Fighting Ichigo has a way of opening your eyes, or at least that's what I've noticed. Almost all of the people who have fought Ichigo have made a discovery about themselves." Rukia said.

"Have you ever fought him?" Yoruichi asked, purely out of curiosity.

"Well, not in the physical sense... I mean, I've hit him plenty of times, and we yell at each other a lot...."

"Have you learned anything?" Yoruichi's question made Rukia hesitate. To say, or not to say.... Hanataro stayed silent.

"Oh, yeah," Rukia said, "you still don't know, do you?"

"Know what?" Yoruichi asked.

"Orihime Inoue and I are... _together_." she responded, smirking. Yoruichi stood, staring up at Rukia, her face overtaken by disbelief. In the next second, she was sternly watching over her shoulder, out of the corner of her eye. Rukia took her role and became limp, appearing to hang unconsciously from the tree. Hanataro, being the last to sense the familiar spiritual pressure, but still smart enough to take his cue from everyone else, ran off to his post. It took a few moments for Ichigo to suddenly materialize, with Orihime on his back. Orihime jumped down as soon as she got the opportunity, started doing apologetic gestures towards Rukia, then noticed that she was acting unconscious, and stopped, blushing ever so lightly. Just enough for Yoruichi to notice.

_**It's true.... **_she thought. Ichigo glanced up at Rukia, taking in her false condition, then glared at Yoruichi.

"Orihime." Ichigo said.

"Y-yes?" Orihime said. In her mind was one thought: _**Wow, just like she said he would!**_

"Get Rukia out of here."

"Right!" she nodded. _** Amazing!**_

She ran past Yoruichi to the tree, grabbed up Sode no Shirayuki, and used her Koten Zanshun (Lone God Cutting Shield) to cut the ropes that held Rukia, caught her as she fell, and ran away as soon as she felt the body hit her arms.

She ran to Hanataro's post, as planned.

"It's about time you showed up!" Yoruichi shouted in a manner that was almost gloating.

"Yoruichi... why?" Ichigo growled, "You worked just as hard as the rest of us to save her before... so why are you doing this now?" He slowly drew his giant zanpaku-to, Zangetsu (Cutting Moon), but didn't assume a position, simply leaving his arm at his side. Yoruichi smirked and leaned forward a little, her hands on her hips.

"Oh, so quick to jump to conclusions, are we?" she chided, keeping up her teasing tone, "Who said I was after her?" Ichigo reacted just as she thought he would, his jaw dropped and his eyes widened.

"But... you trained me! You trained me to use bankai! You helped me get stronger so I..."

"Exactly." Yoruichi said, making up the story as she went along, "I want to see just how strong you've become." she put her right foot in front of her left, making her right shoulder point toward Ichigo, and offered her hand, smiling. Ichigo frowned. He swung Zangetsu from his left side to his right, then took his sword in both hands and moved himself into his fighting stance.

"Let's do this, Zangetsu," he said to his sword.

Ichigo charged forward as Yoruichi stood, still smiling....

_----Meanwhile, at Hanataro's post....----_

"There you are." Orihime muttered, having spotted Hanataro. Rukia opened her eyes and turned her head to see him. She leapt from Orihime's arms gracefully, and landed next to her with just the same ease of movement. Orihime immediately scowled at her. Rukia was confused.

"What?" she asked.

"I said no blood." Orihime said.

"Oh." Rukia acknowledged, looking down at her leg where she had made herself bleed, "That was an accident! You know I'm no good with blades, and what else could I have used to cut my clothes besides Yoruichi's knives!" Orihime paused. Hanataro was now standing by the couple, waiting for the next step in the plan, but was pretty much ignored.

"You mean you didn't use Sode no Shirayuki?"

"No, that would have been harder to avoid cutting myself with. That, and I felt that it was better to use Yoruichi's weapons rather than my own for that. The story was that we were fighting, not that she was standing around as I cut myself." Rukia explained, and added in embarrassment, "But it was mostly the harder to control part that convinced me to use the knife.... I didn't want to make you mad...."

"Oh, Rukia...." Orihime said, stepping closer to her, "I could never really stay mad at you...." she moved in a little, going for a kiss, but interrupted herself, "I mean, I can hold a grudge, and I could probably stay mad for a couple of weeks, but no longer than that. I could stay mad at anyone else for months, but-" Rukia smirked and finished Orihime's original movement, cutting her off with a kiss... which turned into a few kisses... which-

"Umm.... Excuse me...." Hanataro stuttered, snapping the girls back to reality. They stepped back and blushed.

"Sorry, Hanataro...." Rukia said.

"Oh, no, that's alright! I was just wondering if we were going to go on with the rest of the plan soon." Hanataro said, holding his hands up and smiling that shy smile that can only be pulled off by wimps, but is too adorable to really dis.

"As soon as their spiritual pressure gets to the right point." Rukia said.

"Oh. Okay. I'll just stand where you told me to, then." Hanataro said, walking over to the exact spot where Rukia had asked him to stand earlier: facing the wall of the Seretei, but some good distance away. Rukia followed, expecting to have to move him a little.

"Wha- Hanataro! That's exactly right! That's amazing!" Rukia exclaimed from behind him. Hanataro turned his head and rubbed the back of his neck, smiling that smile again.

"Well, after being roughed up as many times as I have for being a centimeter off, you learn to get it right the first time."

"Oh... I see." Rukia said as Hanataro turned back around.

_**Poor Hanataro.... **_Orihime thought, holding her hands over her heart.

Then they felt it: the wave of powerful spiritual energy that caught their attention, but was still small enough to not concern anyone who didn't know the fighters.

"Now!" Rukia cried, rushing to her place, a few feet behind Hanataro, "Are you ready?"

"Yes!" Hanataro said, bending his knees a little and staying there.

"Now, I want to remind you, I've only done this once before, and it was with Kon, so...."

"I'm ready!" Hanataro butted in, focused on the task at hand, "If this helps Captain Soi Fon become less sad and bitter, then I want to help!"

"Okay." Rukia said, silently applauding his bravery. She stabbed the ground in four places in front of her, and each of the holes emitted a small pillar of white light. Rukia kneeled, taking aim just above Hanataro's head with the point of Sode no Shirayuki. She noticed the medical bag Hanataro always wore on his back shift a little as his muscles (or whatever muscles he had) tensed, preparing for what would happen next.

"You'll be alright, Hanataro!" Orihime cheered, "I know you will!" Hanataro gave the effect of having taken those words to heart.

"Do it!" he told Rukia.

"Second dance," she said, keeping the blade pointed, "Hakuren (White Wave/Ripple?)."

As soon as these words were uttered, Hanataro closed his eyes and jumped a little higher than a regular human's jump. A giant pillar of ice shot out from Sode no Shirayuki, right into Hanataro's back, making him lose his breath upon impact, and launching him over the wall to the Soul Society and out of sight....

When Hanataro opened his eyes, he made sure he could breath, and even though it was irregular, he knew he was fine.

_**That hurt... **_he thought, _**but when I was told of this plan, I couldn't say no... I wanted to help.... They needed someone to alert Captain Soi Fon of this battle at the right moment... someone who wouldn't look suspicious for getting help... but I'm not fast enough to get there in the time required between when Rukia gave me the signal and a few moments after.... "It's a critical window," Rukia said. **_He continued to fly through the air, watching as the Rukon District passed underneath him, until he saw his destination. _**There. That's Captain Soi Fon's window.... **_He made a startling discovery, but it was too late.

_**We were off! I need a little more hight! I'm gonna....!**_

Hanataro, failing to think of anything else to do, started screaming and flailing around.

**----**_In Soi Fon's room....----_

Soi Fon turned and look out the window in the direction of the spiritual energy.

_**Yoruichi.... **_she knew the first signature well. The second felt familiar, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. _**So what? **_Soi Fon thought. Yoruichi could probably handle it. She was a great fighter, after all. And she didn't even have a zanpaku-to anymore. _**But I'm supposed to bring her in... maybe I can use this to my advantage....**_

_**And then what? **_Her own consciousness countered her, _**Would you really turn her in if you beat her? **_

_**....No. **_she admitted, _**I wouldn't. **_She turned away from the window and stood, forcing herself to stay where she was.

_**You swore you'd protect her, Soi Fon. **_Her conscious was fighting her again, _**You said you'd give your life to keep her safe.**_

_**That was when it was my job to! **_She argued, the tone in her head grew angry, then dropped as she felt her insecurities threaten to swallow her whole right there and then. _**She doesn't need me now.... **_

She straightened herself as a sound tugged at her ear.

_**Screaming, **_she decided, _**getting louder! **_ A booming _THUD_ came from just below the outside of Soi Fon's window, so she crossed the room and poked her head outside.

"Oh! Captain Soi Fon! Thank goodness!" Hanataro managed to say. It was so airy that it was little more than a loud whisper-sigh. "Um.... would you... m-mind... helping me out?" Soi Fon was staring, baffled. She shook her head, and her usual frown came to her face as she pulled Hanataro into the room. He began coughing like crazy, but Soi Fon picked up that he was trying to stop so he could speak.

"What happened?" she questioned, her tone rather cold.

"Yoruichi's in trouble!" Hanataro gasped, then coughed a little more. Soi Fon's frown changed to one of mixed emotions... of surprise, anger, and a duty that she thought was lost to the ages. Her usual frown returned, but this time with a pinch of Ichigo's determination, and an added bitterness.

"Explain everything." Soi Fon told him.

"I can't, I don't know everything." he said, his coughing having subsided, "But she's fighting Ichigo, just outside the wall! It seemed serious, and...." Hanataro was cut off by a powerful spiritual pressure, and he understood what was happening immediately, "He just released his Bankai!!"

"Take me there!" Soi Fon commanded without thinking.

_----Back to the fight----_

"Good, good!" Yoruichi said, as she blocked Ichigo's Tensa Zangetsu with one of her knives, "You can keep up now! Maybe this'll be a challenge!" Ichigo brought Tensa Zangetsu down for another attack, wielding his weapon in only his right hand. Yoruichi moved to block again, purposely falling for the trap as she sensed Soi Fon's approach. Ichigo grabbed her blocking arm with his left hand, spun and pulled, so Yoruichi was forced onto his back, but with a twist: he had brought the blunt side of Tensa Zangetsu to rest across his back first, so Yoruichi's stomach was greeted by Ichigo's black blade instead of the black cloth of his coat.

"Hah." Yoruichi commented, "Didn't quite expect that." Her midsection was cut, she could feel the blood seeping into her shirt.

Excellent. She twisted her lower half and swept one of her legs under Ichigo, making him fall. She took the opening to cut him deep in the side.

"AAAAHH!" he cried out in pain and lashed out blindly. Yoruichi flash stepped out of the way, but it still caught her right shoulder, lightly. She hunched over and made it look like she was tired as Ichigo hoped right up. Yoruichi tried to look surprised when a mark with the likeness of a butterfly formed itself on the left side of Ichigo's chest, blazing white on his coat.

"Why--?" Yoruichi went with the idea that she would have been confused right now if this hadn't all been planned.

"What that hell?" Ichigo asked, "What kinda trick is this? I saw you, whoever you are! Show yourself!"

"You'd better not let her hit you there again," Yoruichi warned, fake panting.

"What?" Ichigo asked.

"You heard me." Yoruichi said. At that moment, Ichigo's eyes went wide as he blocked an unseen attack to the same spot. Soi Fon materialized in front of Yoruichi, facing Ichigo.

"Who are you?" Ichigo roared.

"I am Captain Soi Fon of the Second Division." Soi Fon answered in a voice that was not angry, but assertive and commanding.

"A friend of Yoruichi's?" he asked. Soi Fon hesitated. Yoruichi stared at the back of Soi Fon's head, listening intently for her answer.

"If you had asked me that five minutes ago, I would have said 'no'," Soi Fon replied, "that I was trying to take her in myself. She's an enemy to the Soul Society."

"But." Ichigo prompted, knowing it was there. Soi Fon's frown gained more curve, and she squinted slightly.

"But," she repeated, "there was a time in my life when I swore to protect her, and I would have risked my soul to do so. I would have given everything I had, done anything I could. I've been trying to deny it ever since she betrayed me over a hundred years ago, by training all that time to bring her down." she paused, wondering if she should continue with Yoruichi right behind her.

"So are you a friend, or not?" Ichigo asked again. Soi Fon only took the barest second to respond.

"Yes," she said, "I am a friend of Yoruichi's." she spoke a little louder, perhaps to make sure Yoruichi was listening, "I may never forgive her for what she did, but I can't..." Yoruichi picked up a pause that Ichigo didn't, and recognized it.

_**She's holding back tears.**_

"... deny it anymore! I still want to protect her! I still...." Soi Fon stopped herself, sharpening her glare, and lifting her right hand to show Ichigo her shikai, which most resembled golden armor on her middle finger, with a point on it, and bee stripes, "But we were going to fight."

"Yeah." Ichigo said, readying himself, "We were."

"No," Yoruichi said, stepping in front of Soi Fon, making it obvious that she wasn't really tired, "You're not."

"Y-Yoruichi-sama!" Soi Fon blurted in astonishment, letting the 'sama' slip.

"Ichigo," Yoruichi called out to him, "You've made great progress. I'm satisfied."

"_You're_ satisfied?" Ichigo was stunned, "But what about...."

"Oh, right." Yoruichi muttered under her breath, the yelled, "KUCHIKI! INOUE! HANATARO!! GET OUT HERE!!" All three of them hopped out from a bush nearby... actually, Rukia did the hopping, the other two were pulled out.

"Rukia! You're okay? But I thought...." Ichigo said. Rukia smiled and hung her head, letting Yoruichi do whatever she was doing without interference.

"Yeah, she's fine. In fact, I never even kidnapped her. This was all planned."

"Planned?" Ichigo and Soi Fon asked, both totally lost.

"We were trying to set some things in motion," Yoruichi said, glancing at Soi Fon, but turning back to Ichigo quickly, "I know where this is about to go, and I don't want it to go there. I've heard enough." she turned around to completely face Soi Fon. Soi Fon blushed. Yoruichi smiled, although she looked like she was about to cry.

"My bee," she said softly. She was hardly able to speak, she was so overwhelmed by her own emotions. She buried her face into Soi Fon's shoulder, and held her close around the waist, "Please stay that way." Soi Fon was astounded, and had to hold back a gasp when she felt Yoruichi's tears on her bare shoulder. "Soi Fon..." Yoruichi continued, unmoving, "I know you'll never forgive me for what happened. I know I should have taken you with me. I... I felt bad for a long time for not doing so... just ask Urahara... but everything went so fast.... I went back, you know... I wanted to find you... that was when I learned that we was branded as traitors to the Soul Society. I missed you, Soi Fon...." she lifted her head, but didn't let go of Soi Fon's waist. She watched her bee's startled face with a weak smile. "Soi Fon...." she didn't want to encroach too much on Soi Fon's senses all at once, so she decided that, in this case, actions were a little too loud.

"I love you." Yoruichi admitted, "I... I know I'm not the type of person people could see falling in love, but I can't deny it anymore either."

"Y-Yoruichi-sa-" Soi Fon started to stutter.

"No." Yoruichi said, shaking her head, "Just Yoruichi. Please."

"Yoruichi...." Soi Fon said, "I... I've always loved you."

Yoruichi smiled a wide, happy smile. However, it was short lived, and replaced by concern.

"But what about you never forgiving me?" Yoruichi asked. Soi Fon sighed.

"Maybe I won't.... But that never stopped me from loving you before, Yoruichi, and I really _wanted _it to. So, instead of worrying... let's just...." she wrapped her arms around Yoruichi, under her shoulder blades, but above her waist. Her cheeks were a rosy hue as she leaned closer to Yoruichi, asking for the gesture her former teacher had refrained from earlier... and Yoruichi was glad to give it. Their lips met, and both of them had certain fantasies realized....

_**Just like honey.... **_Yoruichi thought, enjoying the taste.

_**Just like chocolate.... **_Soi Fon thought, amazed that she was right.

"So, wait...." Ichigo said, looking back and forth from the three at the bush to the two making out, "This was all fake?"

"Right." Rukia confirmed.

"And you were never in danger?"

"Nope."

"But you had Orihime tell me you were, so I'd fight Yoruichi... but more importantly this other chick."

"Right again."

"To do... what exactly?" he asked.

"To get them together!" Orihime's energetic reply hit the air, and confused Ichigo all the more.

"What the hell?" Ichigo asked, "What makes you people think that fighting me will get them together? Since when has fighting ever been associated with romance?"

"Since people started sacrificing themselves for their lovers in wars and such," Rukia countered.

"That's right... and it worked here, didn't it?" Hanataro added, pointing at Yoruichi and Soi Fon, who were finished with their... escapade... and were now watching everyone else for each other's arms, Yoruichi with her smirk and Soi Fon with a smile... which made the two Soul Reapers by the bush stare at her.

"Captain Soi Fon...." Hanataro said unintentionally.

"What?" Soi Fon was suddenly curious, and Rukia, Yoruichi, and Hanataro all noticed that the edge that usually would underlie any emotion she had was gone.

"You were smiling." Rukia told her. As soon as the statement left Rukia's lips, Soi Fon's edge returned.

"So? Why does that matter?" she asked, sounding annoyed. Hanataro rubbed the back of his neck and looked at Rukia, who was giving him a face that said, "We're in trouble, but this should be interesting."

"Uhh... um...." Hanataro tried to come up with something that wouldn't get him yelled at.

"It matters to me."

Everyone turned their attention from Hanataro and Rukia to Yoruichi.

"Yoruichi-san?" Orihime asked softly to herself, to try to register what was going on, and how amazingly sappy everything was actually getting. But she loved it. She watched with anticipation as Soi Fon's puzzled gaze was locked with Yoruichi's honest, intense, sparsely dismal one.

"It matters more than the world to me."

"WHAT THE HELL!" Ichigo bellowed, "I thought things like that were only said in TV shows! I've had enough of this! I'm outta here!" he turned on his heel and pretty much dissipated, due to his flash step.

--_Later, in Orihime's apartment_--

"I feel kind of bad for Ichigo." Orihime said.

"So do I." Rukia nodded, "But I think it was worth it."

"Of course you do. You came up with the plan."

"That's true." Rukia grinned just as there was a knock on the door.

"I'll get it." Orihime said, standing.

"Arisawa-san?" Rukia asked as Orihime opened the door.

"Yeah. Hope I'm not interrupting anything. We brought ice cream and some movies." Tatsuki said.

"'We'?" Rukia repeated.

"Yup. Step up, Chizuru!" Tatsuki shouted. Chizuru stepped out from behind Tatsuki, looking a little nervous. "She'll behave herself. I promise."

"If you're willing to vouch for her, I believe you." Orihime giggled, "Come in you guys!"

Rukia and Orihme smiled as Chizuru and Tatsuki entered the room.

* * *

**The End.

* * *

**

Yaaaayyy!!! XD


End file.
